The Duel
by Wylrin
Summary: Alval Uvani and his Silencer, Banus Alor, practice the arts of destruction and illusion, respectively.


It was that time of the month again. No, not that certain point in a woman's menstrual cycle, though this time of the month made people run away as if it _ _were__. The Dark Brotherhood sanctuary of Leyawiin was uncharacteristically empty. Normally the vast amount of corridors served as a home and a place of safety for the dark brothers and sisters who resided there. Not tonight, however. No, tonight was when an old ritual between two of the sanctuary members was carried out. Said sanctuary members, Alval Uvani and Banus Alor, were the only ones inhabiting the sanctuary at the time. They stood a respectable distance apart from each other in the large room that served as a training area. Uvani, as per usual, had a frown on his face, at odds with Alor's pleasant smile.

"Are you sure about this?" the older Dunmer asked, because he always asked. It was about as polite and considerate as he got. "I won't go easy on you."

But Alor simply smiled, because he always smiled, and he replied, "I'm sure. I should be asking you the same."

That made Uvani snort. "I'm not concerned about anything you could toss at me."

The younger mer chuckled, saying, "Your arrogance could get the best of you."

"It's hardly arrogance. Merely an assessment of my skills."

Alor laughed gently. "Of course, Speaker."

Shifting his stance, the eldest asked, "Are you ready?"

His words were returned with a nod as Alor mirrored his own combative stance. "Of course."

And that was when the civility would end, for this monthly meeting between the two mages was a duel of sorts, a chance for both to test their skills. Uvani would trust none other than his Silencer to duel with; Banus was probably the only one who wouldn't immediately drop dead from his slew of elemental attacks. Though they would both leave this meeting scarred and exhausted, both benefited from it. Not only was it a chance to practice their magical abilities, but it also gave Uvani a chance to unleash his rage in a way that wouldn't harm innocent bystanders. So everyone profited from this monthly meeting.

That didn't mean the other sanctuary members were going to stick around and watch, however. The Speaker's magical prowess was too dangerous for people to be anywhere near him while he's in a fight. So how, you might ask, did Alor stand a chance against such an opponent? Well, he certainly had a few tricks up his sleeve, as was made very apparent. Normally Uvani was the first to start the duel, his temper and impatience not allowing for idle standing around, but this time Alor was the first to act. With a telekinesis spell, he raised one of the practice dummies into the air and sent it flying in his opponent's direction.

Uvani was ready, effectively sending the practice dummy flying with a firebolt spell. Palms lighting with fire, he cast a couple of fireballs at the younger mer, who dodged the first one and blocked the other with a fire shield spell. Considering his Dunmeri resistance to fire, coupled with the fire shield, he barely even felt the heat of the fire as it neared him.

The Speaker, of course, knew of his Silencer's fire resistance, a trait he himself shared. As if by means of explanation, he proclaimed, "I'm just warming up!"

Alor didn't question it. Some part of him dared to think that this was Uvani's way of going somewhat easy on him at first, but such was practically out of the question. This was Uvani, cruel, remorseless Uvani. He had no room for such compassion, not even with his Silencer.

Admittedly, he didn't have much time to ponder it, for his Speaker was attacking again, and this time it wasn't with fire. A frost spell barreled toward him, which he blocked with a ward. Several more elemental spells were flung at him, ranging from frost to lightning. Alor bolted behind a pillar, the chill of the frost spell grazing his shoulder and rendering it numb and unable to move effectively. Well, that wouldn't do. Preparing a spell of his own, he dashed from his hiding place, dodging a bolt of shock thrown his way and casting his own spell at the other mage. Uvani attempted to dodge, but he wasn't quite as quick on his feet as Banus was, and so was struck with the drain destruction spell.

"You think you can reduce me to a novice with a single spell? I am a _ _master__ of destruction!" Uvani shouted, casting a slightly weaker version of a drain health spell.

Alor threw himself behind a barrel, considering his options. Looking up at the sources of light in the room, he cast a few simple frost spells aimed at the candles, dousing the light in the training room.

"Do you think you can hide from me?"

The Silencer wasn't sure he could. Sneaking up on Uvani was nigh impossible. But he was fairly certain the mer didn't have a night vision spell. That should make things easier on him, especially in the pitch black of the underground sanctuary.

The pitch black didn't last long, however, for the Speaker's palms were alight with fire. Shadows danced across the room as the flames flickered in his hands. A lesser mer might have become disoriented by the display, but Uvani was not a lesser mer.

Tossing a fireball at the barrel his Silencer had been hiding behind, the poor object was obliterated on the spot, but its destruction did not reveal Alor behind it. He didn't figure he would be there. Alor would be stupid to stay in the same spot, especially if he intended on using the darkness as his ally.

Said Silencer was nowhere near his earlier hiding spot, instead having crept to the opposite side of the room, hugging the wall as if his life depended on it. Which, in a way, it did. Uvani surely wouldn't kill him _ _on purpose__ , but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't concerned about the possibility of a destruction spell going too far. Still, Alor was hardly incompetent. His duels with the master of destruction were enough to prove that. So while his Speaker searched the darkness with scarlet eyes, he readied a spell. It would give away his position, but he knew he would never be able to sneak up on Uvani with his dagger. Not that he particularly wanted to. They used these duels to test their skills in the art of magicka, mostly. But they were assassins, so they were hardly against fighting dirty by any means they could.

So as the eldest mer turned to look in his direction, he cast a magelight spell directly at his eyes. The roar of outrage might have scared off anyone else, but Alor was hardly anyone else. He was used to his Speaker's displays of rage, and so instead of hesitating, he instead rushed his opponent as Uvani recovered, practically unheard of for a mage. But he knew that nearing closer would only greaten the intensity of his spell, and if he was going to try this, he would need all the help he could get.

Taking his Speaker's wrist, he cast the touch spell.

Uvani immediately stilled.

For several long moments, they merely stared at one another, Uvani with a look of dampened rage in his eyes and Alor with a calm, serene smile. It wasn't the first time they had done this, and it wouldn't be the last. Anyone else's calm spell would never have put so much as a dent in Uvani's state of mind, but Alor wasn't anyone else. He was a master of illusion magic, and it was made evident in the way it made the Speaker pause. An intense battle was going on, despite it merely looking as if the two were merely gazing at each other. It was willpower versus personality, and everyone knows just how willful Uvani is. What they might not know, however, is just how _ _charismatic__ Alor is. Some might guess, considering how he gets along with Uvani of all people. But was it enough to make the Speaker stand down?

Evidently not.

With a look of defiance in his eyes, a shock spell was unleashed from their joined hands, which immediately had Alor screaming in agony. He tried to pull away, but by now his Speaker had a firm grasp on _ _his__ wrist, scowling as he said, "You think you can take control of my mind? The thought is laughable!" With that, he upped the voltage of his shock spell, making Alor nearly keel over in pain. Blindly grasping for his dagger with his free hand, he slashed the blade at the other mer's abdomen.

The subsequent cut through his burgundy shirt made him cry out and release his hold on Alor, who was quick to put distance between himself and the other mage.

Snarling in outrage, Uvani sent a barrage of frost spells in the Silencer's direction, who just barely rolled out of the way of them. For a brief moment, they were left in pitch blackness, but flames were quick to be summoned in the Speaker's hand once more. Just one hand, Alor noticed. The other was wrapped around his middle, no doubt trying to put a stop to the blood that threatened to flow. It hadn't been a deep cut, certainly not enough to disembowel, but it had been enough to bleed somewhat considerably.

Alor wasn't doing too well, himself. Uvani had shocked the daylights out of him, and it was growing more and more difficult to focus through the haze of static that seemed to permeate his vision and his mind. He took a deep breath from behind the pillar he had hidden himself behind, trying to regain his concentration.

"Give up yet?"

That got a semblance of a smile out of Alor. "If I did, you'd be disappointed."

"Damn right."

Perhaps answering Uvani hadn't been the best idea, since it gave away his position. But he was prepared. When his Speaker rounded the pillar and hurled yet another shock spell at him, Alor met it with a reflect spell. He honestly didn't expect it to work, so he was surprised when the Speaker's own spell was sent back at him, electrocuting him on the spot. For once, his cry was more pained than enraged, but his fury was made very apparent when he threw a slew of magic at Alor once again.

Not taking his chances, the Silencer fled, dodging frost, shock, and drain health spells as he maneuvered about the dark room, the only source of light being the spells that were cast. Perhaps a tactical retreat of sorts was in order until he could gain an advantageous position again. Casting an invisibility spell, he effectively disappeared from sight.

Snorting at losing his target, Uvani called out, "That won't last forever, and will end the moment you try anything."

Chuckling softly, Alor pointed out, "You still haven't invested in a detect life spell?"

"I don't need it. My targets have the unfortunate quality of never shutting up," he said, throwing a frost spell in the spot where Alor's voice had come from.

It hit the wall harmlessly.

"Besides," he continued. "Most aren't competent enough to even _ _know__ an invisibility spell."

That made Alor smile softly. It wasn't often that Uvani complimented _ _anyone__.

And such a thing was enough to distract him.

A shock spell grazed his shoulder, causing him to yelp. "How did you even find me?" he called as he dodged a slew of spells.

"I can hear you breathing, you silly mer."

Never underestimate an elf's hearing, Uvani's especially.

His magicka was running out. Uvani's must be, too, though he showed no signs of relenting. Thinking quickly, Alor knew there was only one more thing he could try. Running from his hiding place, he dodged a frost spell before casting a spell of his own.

The fire in the other mer's palm went out, and the room was eerily silent.

He cast a nighteye spell just in time to see the shock in Uvani's eyes. The Speaker was never _ _afraid__ , but this was the closest thing to fear he felt. The cause? Being silenced.

Alor knew he only had so much time. The silence spell wouldn't last forever, but it should give him enough time to do what he needed to do. With no threat of spells being cast at him, Alor rushed his target once more. Uvani was ready, unsheathing his dagger and readying himself for an attack.

Now the problem was how to get close enough to cast his spell without getting a dagger between the ribs. The Speaker, fortunately, seemed blinded in the dark, so it was easy to sneak up behind him and-

As he cast the spell, he felt his own limbs freeze up on the spot.

 _ _Reflect spell__.

Stricken with his own paralysis, he could do nothing as Uvani waited out the silence spell. The moment he could cast his magic again, he did, flames lighting up the room again as he pressed his dagger to Alor's throat, who could do nothing but stand there in defeat.

"Dead."

So he was, if this was anything but a practice duel, at least. Sheathing his dagger and crossing his arms, waiting for the spell on his Silencer to run out, Uvani said, "There could be no other end."

Once the paralysis spell had run its course, Alor flexed his fingers, coaxing the feeling back into them as he replied, "Arrogant."

"Sure of my skills," Uvani corrected with an uncharacteristic smirk.

"You didn't tell me you'd picked up on some Mysticism spells."

"Of course not. I'd rather _ _show__ you."

Alor chuckled at that. His expression grew more solemn, however, as he noticed the arm that was still curled around the other mer's middle. "Are you alright?"

Uvani scoffed, waving a free hand. "Just a scratch. Easily remedied."

The younger mer highly doubted it was _ _just a scratch__ , as his Speaker proclaimed, but it didn't do well to argue with Uvani, so he merely nodded. "How are you feeling? Did you get that pent up rage out of your system?"

"Of course. Blowing things up always does wonders in that regard."

Alor smiled. That was, after all, the point of this little meeting. Uvani was now slightly less likely to kill someone on the spot for something trivial.

"Same time next month?" the illusionist asked.

"Always."


End file.
